


come back to me

by WellyFullOfAle



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M, alex gets dumped, kiss in the rain, robron reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 13:23:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13502386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WellyFullOfAle/pseuds/WellyFullOfAle
Summary: I got bored of waiting for reunion spoilers and this happened, my own little Robron reunion headcanon. Will probably quickly become canon divergent but thought I’d upload it whilst it could still be plausible. Alex is in it, but only because he’s getting dumped.





	come back to me

Aaron’s sat on the ripped leather sofa of some hipster bar in the middle of Leeds, scowl on his face, phone in his hand, and feet up on the low table in front of him because to hell with the rules; nobody’s asked him to move them yet.

He can think of a million places he’d rather be than here.

And one person he’d rather be with.

He winces away that thought, glancing across at Alex stood at the bar with the friends he’d bumped into twenty minutes ago. He’s still looking over at Aaron every few moments, giving him that apologetic wide-eyed shrug that he’s been giving him for about nineteen minutes and thirty seconds, and Aaron rolls his eyes insolently.

He can’t help thinking that Robert wouldn’t have let this happen.

Robert would have given them a few seconds of his time to be civil and then insisted he return to his husband as soon as possible.

Robert wouldn’t have abandoned him for twenty minutes in favour of catching up with his friends.

The fact that Robert didn’t have any friends was beside the point; he wouldn’t have left Aaron to amuse himself like this.

But then Alex wasn’t _Robert,_ was he? And isn’t that the whole point?

Aaron sighs as he returns his attention to his phone screen, refreshing his Instagram feed once more and watching the familiar circle follow its tail in the middle of his screen as his feed loads. He catches his breath as a flash of his ex-husband appears on the screen for a short second – staring at the camera as lights glare in the background behind him, three others in the photo with him but Aaron doesn’t have time to catch who it is as the screen cruelly refreshes again a second later without him asking it to, and Robert’s gone.

Again.

He swallows down, tries to ignore the way his breath had caught in his throat at the sight of him; tries to tell himself his heart isn’t still beating a little faster now; his mouth isn’t watering with the reminder of how _fucking gorgeous_ his ex is.

He locks his phone screen, throws it into his lap screen side down, it sliding into the dip of the V between his thighs, and he bites down on the rough skin at the corner of his thumbnail as he tries to tell himself it’s over, it’s over, _it’s over._

Alex looks over again – he had been laughing at something his friend said until he’d seen the look in Aaron’s eye, and he looks to the ground sheepishly before trying to back away, only to find another friend appear through the entrance to the bar and exclaim his name in excitement, running towards him for a welcoming hug.

There’s that apologetic glance again.

Aaron sighs; he’s more than had enough of it, if he’s honest.

_Robert wouldn’t let this happen._

He curses the thought away, tells himself Alex is everything Robert isn’t for a reason. He’s done nothing but treat Aaron well – when he’s there, of course; such is the life of a junior doctor – and Aaron knows that this is the relationship he supposedly needs in his life. Drama-free, stress-free.

_Excitement-free._

He bites at his lip, as if he’s punishing himself for that thought.

It’s not like Alex doesn’t try. In fact, he tries too hard sometimes – always cooking for him, agreeing to anything Aaron suggests. Always making the effort to come around even after a busy shift, even if all he has the energy to do when he gets to Mill is to fall asleep on the sofa.

He apologises every time – insists he won’t make the same mistake again next time, not when he has the opportunity of taking someone as gorgeous as Aaron to bed with him – but then next time comes and Aaron can see the weariness in his eyes, and he encourages the glass of red wine that he knows will have Alex falling asleep on the sofa, and he can’t find it in himself to _want_ to wake him up and give him a reason not to fall asleep either.

There’s no point; Aaron knows.

It’s never going to compare, anyway.

They’ve been like that since Christmas – since Aaron let Robert go a second (final) time; since he felt a piece of his heart turn to stone, forever crystallised with the kaleidoscope image of one single man trapped inside of it.

He feels his phone burning temptation against his thigh; that flicker of Robert’s face on Instagram flashing behind his eyelids as he grits his teeth; scratches at his eyebrow to try and stop himself from giving in and checking where Robert is; who he’s with.

He feels a rage burn up inside of him – knows it’s for Robert; for the way that Robert is _still_ making him feel, even after everything. Even after _that night_ last week, when they’d said things to one another that Aaron knew, deep in his heart, he couldn’t take back; wouldn’t ever want to take back, not really. That night they’d faced everything, all that they’d done to one another, all that they were to one another.

And Robert had _still_ told him he needed Alex; still told Aaron he deserved better than Robert.

_“You deserve him.”_

That’s what Robert had said, emphasis on the _him_ because his whole body was aching for Aaron’s touch, but he knew that Aaron needed someone better than Robert.

_“You deserve the life he can give you, Aaron. A good life, with a good guy. He saves lives for a living, for god’s sake. Your mum likes him, Paddy likes him. He can help you. I’m just messed up, I can’t even help myself.”_

He knew the words off by heart, had replayed them over like a nightmare for the past week.

He’d wanted to snap back at Robert – tell him he didn’t get to decide for him what made him happy; didn’t get to push Aaron back to Alex, when all he got from Alex was the constant knowledge that he was _settling_ for something less than what he knew he could have – but Liv had walked in, expressed her disgust at finding them on the sofa together having clearly just woken up, and Robert had quickly made his excuses and got up to leave.

He’d barely seen him in the week since.

He’d tried to ignore the night they’d spent together, and the admissions they’d made to one another, but every night his head hit the pillow, the memories flickered behind his eyelids on a loop, haunting him.

He ignored Alex’s texts for most of the week, not able to offer any explanation when Alex had turned up on his doorstep, asking where his boyfriend had gone.

The word had made Aaron’s stomach turn.

Alex assumed it was because he’d taken a last minute shift swap that meant he’d had to work Valentine’s Day, and he was annoyingly apologetic as Aaron reluctantly lied, agreeing that was the reason for his cold shoulder – even if Aaron had grimaced at the mere mention of the idea of romance. Alex has insisted once his run of nights was over that he’d take Aaron out for date night.

Aaron hadn’t even wanted to come.

And now he’s stuck here, alone, as Alex lacks the backbone to walk away from the group at the bar and return to Aaron, and Aaron’s mind is overrun with thoughts of his ex-husband and the kind of excitement only _Robert_ knows how to bring to his life.

He sighs, biting at his thumb again.

He gives in.

He picks up his phone, unlocks it and goes straight to Instagram, the feed refreshing automatically and Robert’s picture back at the top of his feed, as if the app knew exactly what Aaron was looking for.

He looks at the picture properly now, sees it’s Robert with Victoria, Bernice and Kerry. He looks good – _so good;_ Robert-Sugden-level good – but his smile isn’t genuine, and he’s putting a brave face on. Aaron knows.

He’s in his crisp white shirt, the one that clings to his biceps in a way that makes Aaron’s mouth water, and it’s doing things to his already increased heart rate.

He exhales sharply, looks at the caption of the pic.

 ** _rjsugden86_** Little sis dragged me out trying to distract me from everything today #loveher #takemeback #whatadifferenceayearmakes #onlyoneplaceiwouldratherbe #missyou

It’s only then that Aaron realises the date.

It’s their wedding anniversary.

He feels his eyes filling before he has the chance to process what he’s feeling.

He reads the tags again, knows they’re for him, and he feels a jolt of pain rush through him at the thought of Robert’s heartache; at Robert having to be dragged out by his sister to distract him from the pain of everything they’ve lost.

Like Vic could even understand.

Aaron knows he’s the only one who could get it; who knows what the two of them had – how it was on a different plain, another level – and only they could give that to one another.

He lets himself remember it then – for the first time in so long. He remembers their wedding day; the overwhelming and all-consuming happiness he’d felt at hearing Robert say those vows to him; how good it had felt to wrap his arms around that man and know he had him forever; how the thought of his husband had kept him going for so long through those darkest times that followed.

He can’t even really remember the pain of it all.

All he feels now is the pain from the lack of Robert’s presence in his life; the pain of waking up every day knowing what he’s missing out on; the pain of realising every day without him is a day wasted.

Robert’s what he needs.

Robert’s what will fill this void that’s been in his chest for so long that he’s grown used to it, in a way he knows he doesn’t need to anymore.

Robert’s what he wants now; as well as what he needs.

The realisation of it jolts him from his thoughts.

He glances back at the photo, realises then he recognises the background of the picture and precisely which bar Robert is in, and he knows exactly what he needs to do.

He jumps up from the sofa, but there’s a hand on his arm as he makes his way out of the door, and he turns to find Alex with a questioning look in his eye.

“Sorry, I promise I’m done, don’t leave.”

He looks so pleading with a shy smile, and Aaron feels nothing for him.

He grimaces, bites down on his lip, shrugs his arm out of Alex’s grip.

“It’s not working, Alex,” he shrugs, offering an apologetic smile.

“Look, let’s write tonight off, we can do something – ”

“There’s no point,” Aaron interrupts him. “This is…it’s done. It’s over.”

He sees the moment Alex realises what he’s saying.

“Is this because of tonight? Or last week?”

Aaron looks to the floor and shakes his head, a frustrated smile creeping over his face because Alex _still doesn’t get it._

“Is it because I’ve been so tired these last few weeks? I know I’ve not been great company and that we’ve not exactly been – _y’know_ – but I promise you it’s going to be better from now on because I’ve got a better shift pattern coming up and – ”

“It’s because you’re not Robert, Alex.”

That shuts him up, and Aaron opens his arms out to his side and shrugs as he repeats himself; as he watches Alex realise that there’s no coming back from this.

“You’re not Robert, and you’ll never be Robert. I need Robert. I _want_ Robert, I don’t want this.”

Alex shakes his head and looks away.

“Didn’t he hurt you, though? Last time?”

Aaron knows what Alex is doing – even when he’s breaking up with him, Alex is still caring.

But it’s not enough, and it never will be.

“He’s not the same person he was before,” Aaron smiles, knowing it’s true. “And neither am I. We had a lot to deal with, to get past, but…I think I’m ready, to try again with him. I think I _need_ to try again with him, else I’ll never know.”

They stare at one another for a few seconds, until Alex breaks away and looks down to the floor, shielding his hurt away from Aaron.

Alex leans forwards, and Aaron knows he’s going to try to kiss him goodbye or something, and he doesn’t want it, so he pulls away.

“Sorry, Alex,” he offers, with a nod. “Take care.”

And with that he turns on his heels, and there’s only one place he’s heading.

It’s two bars down, and he dodges the girls in high heels and the puddles on the floor as he ducks past the bouncers and makes his way inside.

He spots Robert immediately.

He’s sitting on a high table by the bar, elbows propped up on the table, fingers methodically wiping the condensation up and down his pint glass as he stares into it, solemnly ignoring the life and happiness that’s buzzing all around him. His shirt is pulled taut across his back, biceps bulging through the material, and Aaron can already feel his mouth watering.

He knows what he wants.

It’s so clear to him now, all of a sudden.

He knows.

He wants Robert.

He wants Robert back in his life; and he wants to draw a line under everything that’s happened; and he wants to _move on,_ but move on _together._

Because everything else just feels like _emptiness,_ and if there’s one thing Aaron knows he deserves, it’s a life full of everything that makes him feel alive, just like Robert used to every single day.

He smiles, like it’s the first time he’s smiled in months.

He’s getting his soulmate back.

He’s getting his Robert back.

He makes his way towards their table; Vic spotting him before anyone else does, and she immediately stops her conversation with Bernice and Kerry to call out his name.

It pulls Robert from his thoughts, and they lock eyes across the bar as Aaron makes his way over, Robert turning towards him and slipping out of his chair.

He’s stood half in shock as Aaron inches closer towards him.

It’s as if everyone else in the room fades away; as if they’re the only two people in the world; as if they both have no doubt what is about to happen. He knows Robert can read it in his eyes; knows he’s finally ready to come back to him.

The music fades to a dull throb in the background, people all around them a blur as Aaron finally reaches him, and there’s not even a hint of hesitation.

He’s got his hands on Robert’s chest, fists bunching at the material of that white shirt he loves so much, and then his lips are meeting Robert’s, and it’s like everything in his world just settles back into place again.

He feels Robert’s shocked body stiffen beneath his touch, until a second later his lips are finally responding, a guttural groan escaping between their lips as his shoulders drop into Aaron’s touch, his hands coming up instinctively and taking hold of Aaron’s jawline, skin on Aaron’s neck whitening under the grip of Robert’s fingers.

Aaron groans into it, and he can already feel the tears falling from his eyes as Robert kisses him back with an intensity which encapsulates everything that’s been missing from his life for the past year, tongues trailing lips, desperation to take as much as they can from one another.

Aaron’s hands release their grip on Robert’s shirt, and he trails them around Robert’s waist, pulling his husband back towards him until there’s not a hint of daylight between the two of them.

He can feel it already, the rousing deep inside of him; pulse of his need for Robert throbbing through him, and he smiles into the kiss as he feels Robert’s against his inner thigh too.

The music starts to fade back in around them, and there’s the vague sound of Victoria and Bernice cheering them on; Kerry muttering something about other people getting all the passionate romance, and Aaron’s about to smile at them when he feels Robert’s hips back away from him; palms on his chest as they try to push Aaron away; lips the last thing to separate away.

“No.”

Aaron’s eyes are still closed when he hears it; and his world drops out beneath him.

Robert’s denying him again.

He snaps his eyes open, everything around them coming back into focus suddenly like someone has switched the world back on, and Robert can’t even look at him as his eyes rim red with regret.

“We…this…I can’t,” Robert stutters.

“Robert, don’t do this,” Aaron begs as the realisation sets in.

“You need better than me,” Robert spits out, like he hates it, and before Aaron can even put up a fight Robert has grabbed his leather jacket off the back of the stool and shoved past Aaron on his way out to the street.

Aaron looks up at Victoria, devastation coursing through his veins as his tears of relief and happiness turn to devastation. He pushes the heels of his hands into his eyes, willing away the emotion queued up behind them, but it’s no good.

He wants to drop to the floor and never get up again.

Until he hears Vic’s voice cut through to him.

“Go after him, then!” she urges.

Aaron swallows down as he looks over at her.

“He – ”

“He’s scared, Aaron!” she insists, wide eyed as if she can’t believe that Aaron can’t see it. “He thinks he’ll break you again, and that it’ll break him again. He’s never loved anyone like he loves you. Just go after him! Quickly!”

He doesn’t need telling again, wiping his eyes as he turns on his feet and breaks into a jog as he makes his way out of the bar.

It’s raining now, and there’s more people around as it nears midnight, and Aaron steps out into the street and scours his eyes frantically around, trying to spot his man in amongst every other drunk, stumbling mess that lines the streets of Hotten.

It’s a good few seconds before he spots him, and the rain is falling down heavily on him, even if he can’t seem to care; has barely noticed.

Robert’s leaning back against the wall of a building across the street, head flung back against the wall as he stares up at the night sky, rain masking the tracks of his tears and it pelts against his face. His jacket’s dropped to the floor in abandon, shirt turning see-through with the rain, and Aaron’s not sure he’s ever seen someone looks so tragically gorgeous in his entire life.

This is his man.

Robert Sugden.

This is the man he wants to spend the rest of his life with; is _destined_ to spend it with.

The only man to make him _feel_ like this, on all ends of the spectrum.

Even if right now that feeling is nearer rage than anything else.

How dare he push Aaron away like that; how dare he doubt that Aaron was making the right decision, for himself as well as for the two of them.

He grits his teeth, makes his way over to Robert, flings his own jacket to the floor as he shoves palms against Robert’s chest.

“Fuck you,” he seethes, Robert’s attention suitably grabbed as he stands up in response to Aaron’s attack.

“You don’t get to make these decisions for me, Robert,” Aaron spits out at him, fists balling the material of Robert’s soaking wet shirt between them, shoving Robert further against the wall behind him.

“You deser – ”

“Just shut up!” Aaron pushes past gritted teeth. “I don’t want Alex! I don’t want safe, or normal, or _good._ ” He hisses the word like it’s the worst thing in the world. “I want you! I want the way you make me feel, like nobody else can. I want fucking life changing. Messed up forever, but together, Robert. Always together. Because,” his voice breaks as the tears start to track down his cheeks, Robert able to distinguish them from the rain drops at this short distance; his eyes searching Aaron’s face for every emotion he’s reflecting back at him. “Because, without you, I feel numb. I feel nothing. Nothing compares, Robert. Nothing ever will, and I can’t live like that. I can’t live without you, not any longer. And whatever comes with that, we’ll deal with it, but together, please. You’re the one I want to be with, Robert. Whatever happe –”

There’s the sudden push of lips against his own again – wet from the rain, salty from the tears – but filled with such emotion that Aaron feels his whole body sparking into life again, like he’s finally waking up again.

He pushes back into the kiss, rolls his body up against Robert’s as he pushes him back up against the wall behind him, and he feels Robert smile against his kiss as they both let themselves indulge in the feeling of one another; finally.

After a few moments he pulls away, wants to check the smile he can feel against his lips is genuine; that it isn’t Robert trying to grimace away from him.

His eyes light up at the look of Robert before him; dancing with a passion and a need that he feared he’d never get to enjoy again.

“Can I take you home?” Robert asks, and they both know what it means; both know it’s loaded with a promise for the night to come, and the rest of their lives together after that.

Aaron laughs, like the weight of the world has been lifted from his shoulders.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Aaron smiles back at him, the look in Robert’s eye melting the solid wall he’s had up around his heart for the past year.

That night he feels things he’d forgotten were humanly possible – physically and emotionally – and he knows it down to the core of his bones that he’s made the right decision.

Perhaps it was the best first wedding anniversary they could have hoped for – one where they both come back to one another, and they never looked back.

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you think!  
> find me on tumblr - wellyfullofale


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